Lever-actuated buggy-top.



-A. GROENIG. LEVER AGTUATED BUGGY TOP.

APPLICATION FILED IA! 21, 1806.

PATENTBD MAY 21, 190.7. I

2S1IHETS-BHBET 1. j.

AUGUST GROENIG, OF HOLLOWAY, MINNESOTA.

LE VER-ACTUATED BUGGY-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1967.

Application filed May 21, 1.906. Serial No. 318.084.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST GROENIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holloway, in the county of Swift and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lever Actuated Buggy-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved operating device for raising and lowering buggy tops, and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are views in side elevation showing a buggy having a top and equipped with my im proved operating device, the running gear of the buggy being removed and the said two views showing different positions of the buggy top and operating device, and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates the body of the buggy, the same having a folding top of the usual construction comprising a flexible cover portion 2, the framework'3, and the usual hinged lock bars 4. The ends of the main bar 3 of the frame 3 are pivoted at 5, preferably, as shown, to metal brackets 6 secured to the sides and top of the seat 1 of the bottom 1. The hinged lock bars 4 operate in the usual way, and when straightened out, as shown in Fig. 1, are thrown beyond a dead center so that they look the buggy top in an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1. In the buggy top shown, the upper portion of the rear bar or rib of the frame 3 is connected to the transverse rear portion of the seat bracket 6, by a flexible curtain 7, which when the buggy top is raised, as shown in Fig. 1, is stretched taut. The construction so far described is that of an ordinary standard top y- With the usual construction already described, the buggy top may be raised and lowered only w1th considerable difficulty and can not be conveniently done by a person sitting on the buggy seat. With the buggy top lowered it is, as is well known, much easier to get into and out of the buggy than when the top is raised. My improved device provides means whereby the buggy top may be quickly and easily raised with one hand by a person sitting on the buggy seat. The device in its preferred form comprises an operating lever 8 which is located at one side of the buggy box and at its lower end is secured to one end of a transverse rock shaft 8 mounted on suitable bearings 9 on the bottom of the buggy 1, and to the other end of said shaft 9 is secured an arm 8 Along metallic strap 10 is securedon the seat 1. The ends of said strap project beyond the sides'of said seat and form bearings for a pair of laterally spaced levers 11. The upper ends of these levers 11 are bifurcated so that they straddle the lower sections of the corresponding folding lock rods 4, and they are provided with roller-equipped pins 12 that engage thefront and rear edges of said bar sections. The lower ends of said levers 11 are approximately in the plane of the operating levers 8 and arm 8' and are connected thereto by links 14.

The arrangement of the parts described is such that when the lever 8 is moved rearward into the position shown'in Fig. 1, the upper ends of the levers 11 will be forced forward and will straighten out the folding lock.

bars 4 and positively force the same forward on their dead centers into their locking position, as shown in Fig. 1. To lower the bugg top it is only necessary to force the lever 8 forward, thereby throwing the upper ends of said levers 11 rearward, causing the same to positively buckle the lock bars 4 and move the buggy top rearward and downward. In Fig. 2 the buggy top is shown as moved nearly but not quite to its lowermost position.

By means of the improved operating device above described it is evident that the buggy top, by a simple movement of the lever 8 in one direction, may be raised, and by a simple movement in the other direction may be lowered. In both extreme positions the lever 8 stands out of the way of a person entering or stepping from the buggy.

The device described is of small cost, is strong and durable, and is efficient for the purposes had in view.

I claim as my invention:

The combination with a buggy or carriage body having a hinged top and laterally spaced hinged lock bars 4 for holding the 5 said top raised, of a pair of levers 11 pivoted at their intermediate portions and their upper ends having sliding engagement With the lower sections of said lock bars 4, a rock shaft 8 mounted on said body, an operating IO lever 8 secured to one end of said rock shaft 8, an arm 8 secured to the other end there- AUGUST GROENIG.

Witnesses:

A. D. OHENDEL, G. GROENIG. 

